Joe's Last Goodbye
by Animation Universe 2005
Summary: Chicken Joe's cousin died from a diagnosis from HIV positive. It's tragic, yet heartfelt and emotional at the same time. Hope you like it!
1. Joe's Sad News

Joe's Last Goodbye

By: Terrell James

Summary: This is a very sad, yet very tragic, but very sweet story. Joe's cousin died in Lake Michigan because he's been diagnosed with AIDS. Hopefully, you will like this. Give me good reviews and very cool feedback on this.

Chapter 1: Joe's Sad News

On a later afternoon, Chicken Joe looked at the sky and began to wonder why is it always so clear. He soon realizes that he sees the air in a different perspective. So he sighed and looked around the beach in a very quiet, peaceful way of thinking what would it be like if the world would be very intriuging. Just then, along came his penguin friend, Cody Maverick, checking on Joe.

"Hey, man. How are you?" asked Joe.

"Doing good." said Cody.

"Hey, so I haven't seen you around this morning. Where've you been all day?" asked Joe.

"You know, here and there." said Cody.

Joe nodded his head and said, "I think you've been seeing Lani again. Are you guys an item?"

Cody glared at Joe with a very awkward, yet shy look and said, "I'd rather not answer that, obviously. We're just friends."

Joe said, sarcastically, "Of course you are." Then he exclaimed, "You like Lani, dude!"

Cody blushed and chuckled nervously and said, "Okay. We're just friends. Nothing serious about that, man."

"Okay. I'm just teasing, man. You know me." said Joe.

"Are you?"

"Yeah, man."

"Okay. We'll, I'm gonna hang around to maybe look for a few waves and see if I'm liable to catch one, okay, man?" asked Cody.

"Sure thing." said Joe.

"Later."

"See ya, Joe."

Joe walked out of Z's beach, then headed towards Pen Gu Island for a little sightseeing. 30 minutes later, he saw Lani behind him and said, "Hey, Joe. Got a minute?"

Joe looked behind her and said, "Sure. I got lots of minutes. What's going on?"

Lani looked at Joe, looking a little worried and said, "I got something to tell you."

Joe gave her a concerned look and said, "Is there something wrong?"

Lani sighed and gave Joe a little letter from Wisconsin. Joe looked at it and reads, "_Dear Cousin Joe. How are you? Hope everything's going good at Pen Gu Island. You remember your cousin Lucas? He was a good boy, always like to spend time with you. Just 2 days ago, his HIV positive diagnosis was going worse, and it turns out, our doctor gave us a result: your cousin died from HIV about 5:30 on an early Tuesday morning. I'm really sorry. I know this is hard for you to hear, but it's true. Your cousin Lucas died of HIV. I know how close you guys have gotten. Hope we hear from you soon. With love, Uncle Rupert. P.S.: I hope the penguins take good care of you. Love ya, nephew."_

After reading the letter, Joe's heart sank and said to Lani, "My cousin died?"

Lani nods her head and said, "I'm really sorry."

Joe sighed heavily and tears streamed from his eyes and said, "How could this happen? I know HIV/AIDS would be fatal for everyone, but not my cousin."

"It happens to everyone." said Lani.

"He was like my best friend when we were younger. I-I just can't believe he's gone." said Joe, tearfully.

"Do you need a hug?" Lani asked.

Joe stared at Lani and whispered, "Yeah, I do."

Then, he leaned over Lani and gave him a big hug and said, "If you need to talk, just find me at my lifeguard station, or talk to Z or Cody and we'll be here for you."

Joe wiped his eyes and said, "Thank you."

Lani said, "Your cousin loved you."

Joe turned to Lani and said softly, "I know."

"I'll see you around, okay?" said Lani.

"Okay." he whispered, tearfully, then walked away.

15 minutes later, Joe sat down near the sunset, curled himself to a little ball and started to cry. Then, he felt something in his shoulder and looked up. It was Cody, who started to comfort him and said to him, "Lani told me about your cousin's death. I'm really sorry, man."

"Thanks, dude. I just can't believe that he's gone." said Joe.

"I know. If you ever need someone to talk to or if you just need a little shoulder to cry on, I'm right here, man." said Cody, softly.

"Thanks, man." said Joe, as he gave Cody and friendly hug.


	2. COmforting Joe

Chapter 2: Comforting Joe

The next day, Joe walked around the island and saw Rory Nubbins in front of him. Rory came up to Joe and said, "Hey, mate. Cody and Lani told me about your cousin. Really sorry. Heard you and cousin were, like, two blokes who get along great."

"Thanks, dude. We were like two brothers back in Lake Michigan, growing up." said Joe.

"Anyways, I'm here to see if you're okay, yeah?" said Rory.

"I'll be fine." said Joe.

"All right. See ya, mate." said Rory, as he walked away.

As he continued walking around the beach, he saw Mike Abromowitz coming up in front of him and said, "Hey, Joe. Just wondering to see if you're okay."

Joe looked at Mike and said, "I'm doing okay. I just need some peace, okay?"

"I understand that. Just hoping you're going to be okay. I'll be in the shade if you need me, okay?" said Mike.

"Sure, Mike." said Joe.

"Okay. Look, I know we got off to a rough start when I selected you for the Pen Gu Island Surfing Competition, but I hope we can still get along better, you know, just be friends and hang out for a while. Is that okay?" said Mike.

"That'll be nice." said Joe.

"All right. Well, see you around." said Mike, as he walked away.

Joe sighed to himself and headed down to the forest to check on his friends; the Pen Guans for a little comfort. When he headed down to the forest, he sat down and started to cry for 5 minutes until the Pen Guans saw Joe and decided to give him put their fins on his shoulder. Then, Joe looked around and saw the Pen Guans comforting him and let out a sigh and said, "Thanks, dudes."

As he went off to Z's beach, he saw Z starting at Joe and started to talk to him. Z said, "I heard about your cousin's death. I'm really sorry, man."

Joe wiped his eyes and sniffled a little and said, "That's okay. I just need someone to talk to, you know?"

"I know you do. Death is a very tragic thing, but we get through it. My parents died when I was about, 18. It was very tragic for me, but I learned to deal with the loss, and looked at the brighter side and started to stand on my own, though, I didn't take care of myself in 10 years, but thanks to Cody, I decided to stand up on my own and began to think positive and be able to get through life, but every night, you always miss the people you love. The good thing is you get to remember all the good things about your cousin." explained Z.

Joe looked at Z with two tears streaming down his face and said, "I always knew that I could keep the things I remember about some of my life."

"I think about it all the time. My life has been turned around after 10 years." said Z.

"Thanks, man. You have always been my inspiration to me." said Joe.

Z closed his eyes and sighed softly and said, "Thanks. You know, Cody is really lucky to have a friend like you."

Joe felt a little warmth in his heart and said, "He is?"

"Yeah. He'd do anything for you and you would do the same for him. He's like a brother to you and a son to me, you know?" said Z.

"That's awesome, man." said Joe.

Z came up to Joe and hugged him for comfort. After, Joe walked away and looked at the sky, while Z looked at Joe with his arms folded, looking happy. After, he walked back to his shack, leaving Joe to watch the sky for 10 minutes.


	3. Heartfelt Conversation

Chapter 3: Heartfelt Conversation

20 minutes later, Cody walked to check on Joe to see how he's doing. Cody walked by and said, "You need a friend to sit and talk with you for a while?"

Joe looked at Cody and said, "Absoultely."

Cody came around Joe and sat down and began to talk. Cody said, "You know, I faced the same feeling I faced when my mom died. It was very hard for me, but I always had someone to understand what I feel. You came to my funeral to give me support and care, and I feel like I'm doing the same thing for you. I know you didn't have a dad, and I don't have one either. So, I always felt like I was an outsider and became a little loner, but meeting with everyone in Pen Gu, I finally feel like I have my own place with my friends and my own family here, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do. I understand where you're coming from. Z told me you're lucky to have a friend like me." said Joe.

Cody suddenly felt a little bit of warmth inside of him and said, "Are you serious?"

Joe nodded his head and said, "Defintely."

"Wow. That's awesome. Z's like the father I never had and he's the only one I need." said Cody.

"Just give it some time and hopefully, one of us will be okay." said Joe.

"Yeah. I just came to check on you to see if you're okay. And that if you have any doubts or just need someone to talk to, that's what I'm here for." said Cody.

"Thanks, man." said Joe.

"Anytime."

Joe and Cody gave each other a knuckle touch and a hug for support and comfort. Then, Cody stood up and walked away, leaving Joe staring at the sunset. As he looked around, the radio started played Colbie Calliat's new song, "Realize" as Joe walked to Pen Gu when the song began playing.

_Take time to realize_

_That your warmth is_

_Crashing down on in_

_Take time to realize_

_That I am on your side_

_Didn't I_

_Didn't I tell you_

_But I can't spell it out for you_

_No, It's never_

_gonna be that simple_

_No, I can't spell it out for you_

_If you'd just realize_

_What I just realized_

_Then we'd be_

_perfect for each other_

_And we'll never find another_

_Just realize_

_What I just realized_

_We'd never have to wonder_

_If we missed out on each other now_

_Take time to realize_

_Oh-oh, I'm on your side_

_Didn't I_

_Didn't I tell you?_

Take time to realize

_That this all can pass you by_

_Didn't I tell you?_

_But I can't spell it out for you_

_No, it's never_

_gonna be that simple_

_No, I can't spell it out for you_

_If you'd just realize_

_What I just realized_

_Then we'd be_

_perfect for each other_

_And we'll never find another_

_Just realize_

_What I just realized_

_We'd never have to wonder_

_If we missed out on each other, boy_

_It's not the sane_

_No, it's never the same_

_If you don't feel it too_

_If you'll meet me halfway_

_If you would meet me halfway_

_It could be the same for you_

_If you'd just realize_

_What I just realized_

_Then we'd be perfect for each other_

_And we'll never find another_

_Just realized_

_What I just realized_

_We'd never have to wonder..._

_Just realized_

_What I just realized..._

_If you'd just realized_

_What I just realized..._

_Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh_

_Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh_

_We missed out on each other now_

_We missed out on each other now..._

_Yeah_

_Realize_

_Realize_

_Realize_

_Realize_

_Ooh-ooh-ooh_

As the song ended, Joe looked up at the sky and realized that his cousin is in a better place and hopes to join him someday. Then, he looked up and smiled as he walked away and went back to Pen Gu for a little surfing. Then, he Cody saw Joe surfing and they're surfing with each other until sunset.


End file.
